Middle grade graphic novel about a young girl learning to take over the Night Village responsibility of tending the night moths. It’s a gentle, warm read about friendship, love, and the importance of self-care, self-worth, and belonging. I adored it. ( )

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Great title, beautiful art and story, as well as character design and artwork. The story was well told with great transitions as well.

O’Neill’s works are so warm and forgiving—even the colors draw you in for a hug. New Fave ( )

I think the artwork is the real star here; the cool desert nights and sunny days are depicted so prettily and with a lot of life! The plot felt like there was a lot going on but at the same time nothing went super into depth, which made things feel a little empty? I was never sure if this was going to be about tradition or mythology or proving one's worth, and by the end all of these (and more) were touched upon yet each kind of left open. But it does make for a very soft, tender read, and one that always has gives a sense that things are going to work out. ( )

K. O’Neill’s The Moth Keeper tells the story of Anya, a recent Moth Keeper from the night-village who looks after the moths that aid the Night-Lily flower in blooming. She learns the ways of her village and how they dedicate their lives to the moon goddess, caring for the moths that pollinate the sacred tree of their village that represents their lifeline in the high alpine desert. Along the way, she examines her reasons for becoming a Moth Keeper and wonders about those who live in the daylight.

O’Neill’s story draws upon the keen environmental awareness that life in Aotearoa New Zealand grants them, with the high Alpine regions inspiring the world of the night-village. They also draw upon high scrub regions and the finely balanced ecosystems in other areas of the world, such as Joshua Tree National Park in the United States. Further, O’Neill’s work captures a young initiate’s sense of imposter syndrome as they write, “I became a Moth Keeper because I wanted to matter to someone, I wanted to feel that I was worthy of a place in this world,,, but in my heart, I never really believed I was.” (p. 181).

Their work is a lovely volume of fantasy, with characters resembling owls and other night birds as a sense of nature’s magic pervades each panel in the tale. Beautifully illustrated and told, O’Neill’s The Moth Keeper will delight any reader of fantasy. ( )